Huge national chains profit from low-wage economy by shifting costs to the rest of us

TUESDAY, 10/15 - Fast food workers & supporters will unveil new reports by researchers from UC Berkeley and the National Employment Law Project which calculate the multimillion dollar cost of poverty wages at major fast food chains, both nationally and here in Washington State. The reports to be released Tuesday will show how the giant fast-food chains shift costs to the rest of us by paying such low wages that many fast food workers need assistance from food stamps and other anti-poverty programs to fill the gap between what they’re paid, and what it takes to survive.

WHO: Fast food workers, joined by State Representative Zach Hudgins and other supporters

WHAT: Unveil new reports which detail the extent to which the giant national fast food chains pad their profits by shifting the costs of poverty wages to the rest of us.

The minimum wage of $9.19/hour is simply not enough to meet basic needs, so many fast food workers need public benefits to close the gap between what their jobs pay, and what they need to survive. The reports will show that:

Even though they serve food for a living, more than a quarter of fast food workers need food stamps to ensure they have enough to eat.

Fast food chains pay so little that more than 2 in 5 fast food workers need support from a major publicly-funded safety net program to get by.

The national chains bank billions in profits, while leaving fast food workers in poverty and shifting millions of costs to the rest of us.

Sparked by this summer's fast food & coffee strikes, Good Jobs Seattle is a growing movement which seeks to build a sustainable future for Seattle's economy from the middle out — by turning poverty-wage jobs in fast food and other industries into good jobs that offer opportunities for a better future and pay enough for workers to afford basic necessities like food, clothing and rent. Good Jobs Seattle is supported by organizations including Washington Community Action Network, Working Washington, OneAmerica, SEIU Healthcare 775NW and hundreds of workers and grassroots supporters.

About Working Washington: Our mission is to build a powerful workers’ movement that can not only dramatically improve wages and working conditions, but can also change the local and national conversation about wealth, inequality, and the value of work. More info…

Our mission is to build a powerful workers’ movement that can not only dramatically improve wages and working conditions, but can also change the local and national conversation about wealth, inequality, and the value of work.

Working Washington fast food strikers sparked the fight that won Seattle's landmark $15 minimum wage. We drove Amazon to sever ties with right-wing lobby group ALEC and improve conditions in their sweatshop warehouses. And we helped lead the winning campaign in SeaTac for a $15 living wage.